Glenn Frey's widow sues Manhattan hospital over treatment

Guitarist Glenn Frey, left, performs with the Eagles at the opening night of the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles on Oct. 18, 2007. (REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo)

NEW YORK — The widow of Glenn Frey on Tuesday filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan over its treatment of the former co-lead singer and guitarist for The Eagles before he died in January 2016 at age 67.

Cindy Frey accused the hospital and gastroenterologist Steven Itzkowitz of negligence for failing to properly treat her late husband's ulcerative colitis, diagnose and treat infection, and advise of the risks and side effects from treatment.

As a result, “Glenn Frey was rendered sick, sore, lame and disabled,” and suffered pain and mental anguish prior to his Jan. 18, 2016, death, according to the complaint filed in a New York state court in Manhattan.

Frey had been under Itzkowitz's care from October to November 2015, the complaint said.

He died of complications from acute ulcerative colitis, pneumonia and rheumatoid arthritis, The Eagles have said.

Mount Sinai spokesman Lucia Lee said the hospital does not comment on pending litigation. Eric Turkewitz, a lawyer for Cindy Frey, declined to elaborate on the lawsuit's substance.

The complaint seeks unspecified damages for Cindy Frey, who had three children with her late husband and oversees his estate.

It was filed shortly before the expiration of New York's two-year statute of limitations for wrongful death cases.

State law requires lawyers to consult with doctors in medical malpractice actions before suing, to determine whether cases have merit.

It also permits lawsuits such as Frey's to be filed when lawyers cannot reasonably obtain such consultations before the two-year deadline expires.

Glenn Frey was a co-founder of The Eagles in 1971 and collaborated with drummer Don Henley on many of the band’s biggest hits, with Frey taking lead vocals on such songs as “Take It Easy,” “Lyin' Eyes” and “Heartache Tonight.”

In the 1980s, Frey had solo success with such songs as “The Heat Is On,” recorded for the movie “Beverly Hills Cop.”